


Walk Like an Egyptian

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: Cleopatra's Daughter - Michelle Moran, Historical RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ancient History, Ancient Rome, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Gen, Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4225779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of her wedding, Cleopatra Selene can’t sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walk Like an Egyptian

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/gifts).



> I’m so sorry about the title; I promise this is a serious fic. This turned out quite different to the request, but I hope the concept is similar enough to be enjoyable.

**_Rome, 25 BCE_ **

On the eve of her wedding, Cleopatra Selene can’t sleep. She tries, for about five minutes, but her own heartbeat in her ears and the heaviness in her stomach are overwhelming, so she gets up. She leaves her chambers and walks. She walks and walks, without a clear destination, her bare feet silent on the cold floors of Augustus’s villa. No-one stops her.

She finds herself entering her brother’s room before she realises where she is. In the darkness, nothing is visible, but she can hear murmured voices punctuated by soft smacking sounds. She covers her mouth to smother her gasp as she recognises the nature of the sounds. She backs out of the room, then paces towards it again, her feet slapping the ground to announce her arrival.

“Alexander?” she calls.

There’s a muffled yelp, a thud, and a hush before her brother all but shouts, “Selene? What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” She stifles a giggle at the thumps coming from inside the room that she assumes are Alexander and Lucius scrambling to put on clothes in the dark. She clears her throat. “Are you decent?”

“Yes, I’m coming out.”

A moment later, her curly-haired brother appears in the hallway and pushes his fringe out of his face. “Selene, are you well?” he asks, smoothing his dark hair before reaching out to take her hands in his.

“Yes.”

“You’re lying.” He smirks, but the look in his amber eyes is one of concern.

“Yes.” She glances around them and lowers her voice. “I’m… apprehensive about my wedding,” she admits, meeting his gaze.

He runs his thumbs over hers in a comforting gesture. “You’re going to be the Queen of Mauretania and make Juba a wonderful wife.”

She can’t help smiling at his optimism. “You’re not jealous?” she checks. “If Augustus hadn’t defeated our mother and father, we would be King and Queen of Egypt – together. I should be marrying _you_ , as is tradition.”

“I know,” he reminds her. “Of course I am jealous – even though you will be far from home, you will still be Queen, and you will have a husband who cares for you. That is more than can be said for Julia or the Antonias.”

She swallows down the lump in her throat, ignoring the tears that threaten to spill. “I wish-”

“I’m happy for you,” he cuts her off.

“Oh.”

He pulls her in for an embrace. “I know Mauretania isn’t what you wanted, or what you deserve, but it is a small victory in itself. Augustus didn’t have to do this for you, he could have easily chosen one of the other girls to marry off to Juba, but you didn’t give up on Egypt, and now you get to escape Rome.”

 _Not entirely_ , she thinks, but she sees his point. She kisses his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispers with a smile.

He hugs her tighter. “I’ll still miss you, you know.”

“What sort of twin would you be if you didn’t?” she teases. Then, “I’ll miss you more. I’ll be in a foreign land, alone except for Juba.” He strokes her hair, and she sighs. “I hope Lucius is enough to keep you happy.”

He pulls back so they can see each other’s expressions, and he tries to keep the dopey look off his face, but fails to succeed. Unlike her, he has never been able to hide his emotions.

“Alexander Helios,” she chastises, “you’re a lovesick fool. Don’t let that get you into trouble like our father did.”

He sobers, and grabs her arms. “I won’t, I swear.”

“Good.”

“You should go to bed,” he tells her. “Get some sleep; it’s your last night as a child of Rome.”

She nods. “Good night.”

“Good night, Selene. All the best for tomorrow.” He releases her and goes back to Lucius.

She returns to her chambers alone, but her head is held high and her shoulders are relaxed. She walks like a queen. She walks like her mother. And tomorrow, Cleopatra Selene will keep walking, into her future.


End file.
